Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Indonesian military arrest two soldiers following fatal shooting in Papua

Posted at 22:53 on 21 February, 2008 UTC

Indonesian military authorities have arrested two soldiers following the fatal shooting of a man in January in Papua.

Soldiers have long been accused of a range of human rights violations in Papua but detentions of military personnel are rare.

The man was shot after a patrol, searching for an armed group, raided a house in Papua’s Tingginambut district.

The military claimed that warning shots were fired, although witnesses denied this, and several activist groups have since demanded an independent probe into the incident.

The head of the military command overseeing security in Papua, Major General Haryadi Soetanto, says an investigation was carried out following the incident.

He says two soldiers were declared as suspects and will be processed according to the prevailing laws.

He says the pair have been detained.